Midnight Nightmares
by Ash M. Knight
Summary: Emma is having nightmares. One-shot. Swan Queen.


Emma woke around midnight in a cold sweat and sat straight up in bed, throwing the soaking covers off of herself. When she felt the sudden movement in the bed beside her, Regina woke as well and nearly jumped out of the bed.

"What happened?" she gasped. "What's the matter?"

"Don't leave me," Emma said, sobbing and throwing her arms around her lover. "I can't lose you."

"What are you talking about, baby?"

"Don't leave me."

"I'm not going to leave you. Why would you think that? What happened, Emma?"

"I had a nightmare. You called me a..."

"What, Emma?"

She shook her head and looked away.

"You called me a terrible name and told me to get out."

"Why?"

"Because I cheated on you."

"But you didn't really, right?" Regina said, her voice suddenly shaking with uncertainty.

Emma looked over at Regina with surprise.

"No!" she cried. "Of course not! I would never! How could you even ask me that?"

"I don't know. It was just the way you said it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Emma snapped, glaring at her lover.

"Don't snap at me. Your voice was soaked with guilt. I couldn't tell."

"You should know better than to think I'd do something like that. I'd never do that to you."

"Promise?"

Regina looked broken. She'd never even considered the possibility of being cheated on before. Now, she wondered who Emma would even cheat on her with. Her first thought was Hook. That bastard.

"I promise," Emma said, the look in her eyes suddenly softening as she gazed into Regina's. "But you left me. You told me to get out, and you never spoke to me again. When I dropped Henry off for you to take him, you wouldn't say anything. I was talking to a brick wall. Your eyes were so cold. It was like you didn't even know me. I can't imagine you ever looking at me like that. I think I would die, 'Gina. I'd die..."

"You wouldn't _die,_" the queen retorted shortly, but Emma wasn't convinced.

"I don't think you understand."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I... I love you, Regina. I can't lose you."

The queen sighed and scooted closer to Emma.

"You won't," she promised, wrapping her arms around the blonde as she kissed her cheek. "Now come back to bed. It's late."

"No. I'm scared to dream again."

"Maybe they'll be good dreams. Maybe..."

She trailed off and looked away.

"What do you dream about?" Emma asked, leaning back and propping herself up on her elbows, still looking at Regina.

"You, mostly," the mayor confessed. "Sometimes Henry."

"That's all?"

"I've dreamt about killing your mother before, I'll admit."

Emma couldn't help but laugh.

"You're awful."

"I know," the woman grinned, leaning down to place another gentle kiss on Emma's cheek, "but you love it."

"What can I say?" Emma asked with a shrug, winking at her lover. "I like my girls a little bit bad."

"I'd better be the only woman you're looking at, Miss Swan, or you're going to be very sorry."

"Oh yeah?" Emma teased. "What are you gonna do to me?"

"Punish you."

Regina pushed the blonde down into the mattress and rolled over to straddle her lap, the pressure making Emma moan softly.

"Please do."

"I can't."

"Why not?" Emma whined.

"Because you haven't been naughty yet."

"I'd never look at another woman," the sheriff promised, "but I'm sure I can misbehave somehow."

"We'll see."

As the savior grinned, a smile played at Regina's lips.

"Why don't we have a little fun?" the mayor suggested, reaching down to stroke her thumb over Emma's pale cheek. "Then maybe you won't have any more nightmares."

At first, Emma seemed excited at the prospect, but as she leaned up to kiss her lover's lips, she felt something in her stomach sink.

"Can we maybe just... Can you..."

"What, baby?"

"Can you hold me?"

A look of concern crossed Regina's face as she leaned down to kiss Emma's lips.

"Are you going to be okay?" she asked, rolling off and laying next to her with her arm draped over the woman's waist.

"I don't know," Emma confessed, shaking her head slowly.

"Baby," Regina whispered, kissing Emma's shoulder. "I love you."

The mayor pulled the sheriff into her arms, and the woman relaxed into the embrace and shut her eyes. After the embrace tightened, sleep finally came, with Emma's head tucked into the crook of her lover's neck.


End file.
